Independence Bowl pits Bobcats against Warhawks

Shreveport, LA (Sports Network) - The ULM Warhawks will be making their first
appearance in the postseason since moving up to the FBS ranks in 1994, as they
take on the Ohio University Bobcats in the 2012 Independence Bowl in
Shreveport, Louisiana.

Frank Solich's Bobcats looked like they may be the BCS buster from the MAC
this season after a 7-0 start that put them into the Top-25. However, the
momentum disappeared as injuries started sidelining key players, which led to
just one win in the team's final five games. The Bobcats did manage to go
undefeated in their non-conference slate, but their 4-4 league ledger left
them an 8-4 record at the conclusion of the regular season. This will be the
fourth-straight bowl appearance for the school, which is seeking to win back-
to-back bowl games for the first time in program history.

Not only is this ULM's first bowl game, it is also the first winning season
for the team as an FBS program. Head coach Todd Berry was named the Sun Belt
Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the squad to an 8-4 record that
included an overtime win over Arkansas, and a pair of close losses to Auburn
and Baylor.

"I'm very excited to win eight games. You learn in this profession that they
are not always going to be pretty. They are very resilient," said Berry after
the team's overtime win over FIU. "I wasn't happy with some of the plays, but
happy with who they are as a whole. They just refuse to lose."

The Warhawks appeared to be the frontrunner to win the SBC before falling in
back-to-back games versus Louisiana and Arkansas State. But they have since
bounced back with two straight victories.

Despite the poor finish, Ohio was productive overall on offense this season by
averaging 435.5 yards and 30.6 points per contest. However, it had a
disappointing performance in its finale versus Kent State, as the Golden
Flashes limited the Bobcats to 339 total yards and six points, while forcing a
pair of turnovers.

Bowling Green head coach Dave Clawson was impressed with the Bobcats'
offensive unit after their conference clash.

"They are a very good offense. It is not an accident that they are scoring 35
or 40 points per game. So we knew they were going to make plays."

Tyler Tettleton has been a steady leader under center for Ohio since being
named the starter. Tettleton became the school's all-time leading passer
against Bowling Green, as he has thrown for 2,513 yards and 16 TDs with only 3
interceptions in 11 games this season. He has shown accuracy by completing 62
percent of his attempts (214-of-345), and has 4 rushing scores as well.

The junior quarterback keeps the opposition guessing by spreading the ball
around, as 10 different Bobcats have at least 100 receiving yards, with Donte
Foster pacing the group with 629 yards and 7 TDs on 56 receptions.

The Bobcats have relied heavily on Beau Blankenship to move the chains this
season. The junior tailback ranks ninth in the FBS and second in the MAC in
rushing with 1,500 yards on 293 carries. Blankenship gained some steam near
the conclusion of the regular season with 306 yards and 3 TDs on 50 carries
over a two-game span against Ball State and Kent State, both of which are
playing in bowl games as well.

The Bobcats defense was decent its last time out as it held Kent State to 377
yards and forced a pair of turnovers. The Golden Flashes were still able to
win the game, 28-6, but the OU defense was not the reason for the wide margin
on the scoreboard.

Junior linebacker Keith Moore has been the heart and soul of the defense, and
he has recorded a team-best 89 total tackles, which is 29 more than anyone
else on the roster. Neal Huynh is an aggressive lineman and has compiled 8
TFL. Jelani Woseley is the top playmaker with three of the team's 10
interceptions to his credit.

A big reason ULM suffered two setbacks in a row was the fact that starting QB
Kolton Browning was unable to play due to injury. The junior signal caller had
a remarkable season as he amassed 2,830 yards and 27 TDs to just 7
interceptions. Browning also rushed for a team-best 441 yards and 7 scores on
122 carries.

With the offense relying heavily on the production of Browning, it ranked 27th
in the FBS in passing yards per game (296.7), but just 80th in rushing offense
(146). The Warhawks managed to produce 35.5 ppg, as they set a new school
record with 59 touchdowns this season. Of ULM's scores, 31 came via the pass,
24 on the ground, and the defense added 4 more.

Senior wideout Brent Leonard had a terrific campaign as he finished second in
the Sun Belt with 1,042 yards and 10 touchdowns on 97 receptions. The former
walk-on needs just two more catches to become the school's all-time leading
receiver.

The Warhawks have gone with a running back-by-committee approach since Jyruss
Edwards (438 yards, 6 TDs) was lost for the season. Monterrell Washington (352
yards, 6 TDs) gets the majority of the work, although DaVontae McNeal (198
yards, 2 TDs) and Mitchell Bailey (125 yards, 2 TDs) are both involved.

The ULM defense (27.8 ppg, 407.3 ypg) has not played up to par with its
offensive counterparts this season, but it ended the regular season with a
terrific performance against FIU. The Warhawks totaled 17 tackles for loss,
including 6 sacks, and they also recovered a pair of fumbles, one of which was
returned 36 yards for a score by R.J. Young.

Young knows the team has a tough challenge in slowing down Blankenship.

"When the offense is one-dimensional, you can hone in on what they are trying
to do," said Young. "Everything about our defense is about stopping the run,
and then you can kind of tighten up the passing game."

Isaiah Newsome has 4 interceptions to go along with 8 passes defended and 55
total tackles. Young has 90 stops, an interception, and 3 fumble recoveries,
while Ray Stovall (59 tackles) has made 13.5 stops behind the line of
scrimmage.